The Early Childhood Coalition for Wayne County Kids was one of the recipients, awarded $206,038.48, according to a release.

The grants total more than $1.4 million and were awarded to early learning providers and county coalitions to help them serve more pre-K children and increase the quality of early education opportunities provided throughout Indiana.

“Increasing the number of high-quality early education programs in counties across the state is an intentional priority for the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration FSSA Secretary Jennifer Walthall said in the release. “Building capacity provides more options for Hoosier parents who want their child to have a competitive start to their education.”

All applicants were required to secure matching funds — between 5 and 50 percent of total budget — from local businesses or other stakeholders who will benefit from the community improvement associated with these capacity-building grants. The funding for these grants was appropriated in 2017 via House Enrolled Act 1004, which Governor Eric J. Holcomb signed into law as part of his 2017 Next Level Agenda